Delta to drop 170 gates nationwide

Delta Air Lines Inc. will drop about 170 gates nationwide as the carrier merges its operations with Northwest Airlines Corp. across the carriers’ shared airport networks.

Delta CEO Richard Anderson said all airports nationwide should be converted by year-end, and international destinations will be integrated by mid-2010. The carrier is considering keeping the same number of gates it holds collectively with Northwest at Albany International Airport. The two airlines have a combined three gates.

Doug Myers, Albany International Airport’s spokesman, said Northwest has a gate at A4. Delta has gates B5 and B7. Gate A4 is closing. However, the airport will collect $578,181 this year from Northwest in annual fees. The contract expires on Jan. 1, 2011.

Myers said Delta is discussing adding a B6 gate but no decision has been made.

Several weeks ago, Delta (NYSE: DAL) started the process of eliminating the Northwest name and merging operations at airports across the United States. The Atlanta-based carrier recently completed the relocation of Northwest assets to the Delta-controlled real estate at Orlando International Airport, Anderson said.

Myers said at Albany International, some Northwest planes have arrived, repainted with Delta’s colors. And Delta kiosks have both Delta and Northwest buttons on them.

“It is exciting to see the airlines brought together and running a single operation,” Anderson said in the recorded message.

Condensing operations at certain airports was part of the expected $2 billion in annual synergies Delta officials said the carriers would reap once they combined. Delta acquired Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest last October in an all-stock transaction.

The combined carriers are expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in airport lease costs following their total integration, Anderson said.

Delta is the fourth largest carrier at Albany International Airport, followed by Northwest. Delta flew 151,489 departing passengers from Albany last year, while Northwest flew 103,146 passengers from Albany last year.